Technology

Do you remember how many Super Mario Bros. recreations littered LittleBigPlanet? Mario is iconic. He is video games. So it's not surprising folks messing around in Unreal Engine 4 continue to use the model.
It's more fun in ...

This is how it starts, I fucking know it. First it’s cute little tricks like playing football. Then it’s some actually kind of impressive stuff like this AI who has managed to learn and beat a Mario level in 34 tr...

May 28 //
Alessandro Fillari[embed]292774:58672:0[/embed]
Twenty months after the end of season one in 1985, the lead characters have essentially moved on from work on PCs and plan on striking out into something new. After the launch of the Giant, the PC they spent all of the first season building, Joe McMillan (Lee Pace) seeks to rebuild his life after ultimately compromising on his vision for what the future of computers could be, and realizing that his methods of success have harmed others. His number two, Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy), struggles to find direction after departing Cardiff Electric, and Cameron Howe (Mackenzie Davis) and Donna Clarke (Kerry Bishé) have been hard at work on their new start-up company Mutiny, an online gaming network running on the Commodore 64 platform. With users paying a monthly fee to play multiple titles online with a community of gamers, they seek to expand the company and plan to change the way people seek entertainment and communicate with others.
Much like the last season, Halt and Catch Fire's attention to detail and faithfulness to the era is as strong as ever. Focusing on the early stages of the consumer version of what we now know as the Internet, there's a lot of ground to cover for a start-up that deals with the state of online gaming. Though there were other (real) online PC services that offered gaming and many other functions around 1985 -- such as Prodigy, CompuServe, and Quantum Link (now known as AOL) -- the fictional Mutiny of HACF is a service that exclusively streams games to users. With such titles as Tank Battle, Checkers, Chess, and Backgammon serving as the basics, much of their attention towards game creation is focused on a title known as Parallax, a MUD (Multi User Dungeon) RPG series that spans multiple chapters.
Looking back, the 1980s was a strange time for games. With the console video game market in a crisis, arcades serving as a hub for social interaction and competitive gaming, and the home PC audience gradually expanding, it's certainly a far cry from what we experience now in the present. What I really like from these episodes so far is that we're seeing a sense of uncertainty during the time. Given that this is set post-video game console crash, games on cartridges are often regarded by characters as inferior to the offerings and potential of PC gaming. During one of my favorite scenes, the coders at Mutiny are discussing what game to work on next, with one of the new hires suggesting that they focus on technical innovation rather than game creation, as the former usually gives rise to the later.
[embed]292774:58671:0[/embed]
It's interesting to see a television series focus not only on game development, but the building of an online community during 1980s. Let alone doing it in a way that actually depicts realism, and quite frankly, honesty for what the gaming audience is all about. I watch a lot of television. I'm quite used to seeing different programs spout out random catchphrases and obligatory references to popular games in order to connect with gamers. But the brilliant thing about Halt and Catch Fire is that it not only features characters who are hardcore gamers, but they use their passion as the fuel for their creative endeavors. And that is refreshing to see on a television series.
I was a big admirer of the first season, and though it felt a bit uneven and had some pacing issues, it definitely showed potential to become something great. And I can safely say that its potential is finally being realized in its second outing. I was impressed with the beginning of this season, and though I may be biased because it's got a deep focus on gaming, I feel that the new change of scenery, and a new focus, has given the series a much needed rejuvenation. It sure feels much more energetic and hipper because of it.
If you haven't seen the show yet, the first season is available now on Netflix, and its second season is set to debut May 31 on AMC. If you're interested in the creation of technology, and hearing a bumping soundtrack to go along with it, then I highly recommend giving it a watch. Also, this series has by far the coolest TV intro ever. That alone is enough to deserve it your attention.

The thing that gets us to the thingIn case you couldn't tell, the 1980s is having a bit of comeback. With so many games and films (Kung Fury is out today!) seeking to emulate the vibrant and lively era, there's plenty of people out there feeling nostalgic for ...

[Update: Turns out this applies to all streamers, and not just partners. This has been confirmed in a tweet from the Twitch PR director.]
Hey, Twitch streamers! Remember those glorious days a few years ago when the delay on ...

Ed Fries -- part of the original team that created the first Xbox way back in 2001 -- thinks that Sony's PlayStation 4 is leading the current-gen console war "by a nose."
Fries added that while Microsoft had slashed prices re...

It's so weird how many computer companies and developers had or have the word "soft" in their names. Squaresoft, Microsoft, Ubisoft. It's like a menagerie of Pau Gasols out here am I right folks.
I put together some words in...

Some would call beard growth in videogames insignificant -- a waste of time. They would be wrong.
As spotted in the NeoGAF recap of German gaming magazine Gamestar.de's factoid-filled coverage of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, pro...

Whenever I get my hands on new technology, my first inclination is to try to break it. Well, not the way Fred Durst likes to break stuff, but to see if I can expose any hiccups in the design. Going into a demo for the SteelSe...

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang has announced the company's own sort of Ouya/Amazon Fire TV, the "world's first 4K Android TV console," the Tegra X1-powered Nvidia Shield. Not to be confused with Nvidia's recent Nvidia Shield.
It i...

In the last month or so, invitations to various virtual reality headset demonstrations have made up a huge chunk of my inbox. GDC is into virtual reality. I worry someone will pull some garish box out of their bag this ...

When Assassin's Creed Rogue comes to PC later this spring, players will be able to take advantage of some optional tech that, in a sense, won't restrict their field of vision to the confines of their screen; in fact, it...

3D artist and level designer Benoît Dereau, who has previously worked on Dishonored, has made one of the most impressive Unreal Engine 4 tech demos I've seen, as far as photo realism goes. It makes PT lo...

Jan 21 //
Jordan Devore[embed]286513:56976:0[/embed]
It's unlikely that the end consumer product will exactly match the ambition of this concept video but, even if Microsoft gets partway there with HoloLens, we're one step closer to The Future as envisioned by Hollywood. One step closer to becoming Tony Stark. What a time to be alive.
Other gaming-related announcements were made during the Windows 10 event:
Microsoft is working on an Xbox app with Xbox Live-style social functionality and Achievements. Sure, why not?
We'll be able to stream Xbox One games through our local network to a Windows 10 PC or tablet. "[M]any Xbox One accessories will work interchangeably on the console and PC (with more on the way)," says the company.
Xbox One's recording/editing/sharing Game DVR software will be a part of Windows 10 "whether [you're] on Xbox Live, Steam, or other services."
Fable Legends will release on Xbox One and Windows 10 simultaneously and the game supports cross-platform play. (Remember Shadowrun 2007?) This represents "just the first of the major game franchises from Microsoft Studios coming to Windows 10."
DirectX 12 is a Windows 10 exclusive. My graphics card just got another wrinkle.
Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 users can upgrade to Windows 10 for free for the first year.
And finally, Cortana -- she's here to stay as a personal assistant. Yay?

HoloLens, DirectX 12, and actual Microsoft Studios games on PCEarlier today, Microsoft held a Windows 10 event. My stream kept dying, but I posted about the Battletoads shirt worn by head of Xbox Phil Spencer during his segment about gaming.
Much of the event was uninteresting or irrele...

Do you ever take a moment to stop and admire the scenery? Too often are we focused on mindlessly pushing forward to the next objective to notice the little details. Foliage, man. Take it in.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts...

Okay, I mostly wanted to write this story because grass behavior is stereotypically one of the dullest things out there, right next to watching paint dry. But to be honest, the tech demo above is actually pretty cool.
I can ...

Tim Cook called it the "biggest advancement in iPhone." We called it the worst of their long history of poorly kept secrets.
Two sizes: both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus were announced this morning at Apple's pres...

Samsung has announced that it will be showing its rumored virtual reality headset, codenamed "Project Moonlight," at its upcoming product event show in early September where it is widely expected to also announce the Galaxy N...

Most of us won't recognize Pitbull Studio by name, but the company has worked with Epic Games in the past on Gears of War: Judgment and, most notably, Unreal Engine 4. Now, the two are further extending their partnership as P...

The Consumer Electronic Show is one of my favorite events. It was Destructoid's very first trade show, and we've been back every year we've been in business. While not necessarily a videogame trade show, it still brings us bi...

Microsoft says that they're working to realign their workforce, with the first step being a large scale workforce reduction of up to 18,000 jobs. They say that the vast majority of the jobs that will be eliminated will happen...

A new leaked image of Samsung's entry into the VR headset arena is making its rounds on the internet today. Known as Gear VR, it's poised to implement software co-developed by Rift creator Oculus, with screens and additional ...

A new product, a Razer "micro-console" powered by Android TV, was shown as part of the keynote at Google I/O today. This is a device that will stream games and other content to televisions. Razer says that it will be priced t...

Microsoft has acquired a high-performance cloud-computing company named GreenButton today. The two companies have worked together in the past, with GreenButton also providing services to HP, Amazon, and others. But TechCrunch...

id Software parent company ZeniMax Media has sent a "formal notice of its legal rights" to Oculus VR and Facebook over intellectual property worked on by chief technology officer John Carmack while he was still at id that Zen...

In a marked change of pace for typical Windows releases, Terry Myerson, head of Microsoft’s Windows and Xbox software division, demonstrated a prototype build of a hybridized Start Menu. Combining the classic function ...

I have this thing about breath. I'm not so concerned about those that just had coffee or ate roasted garlic. It's more about the people with the breath that lets you know that they just don't bother to brush. That breath. Th...

Mar 20 //
Dale North
Headset impressions
We admired the headset before strapping it onto our heads. Sony's version of VR looks bigger and heavier than Rift, but it certainly doesn't feel heavy when wearing it. Trying out Oculus' second development kit this week, I thought that it felt a little heavy on my face and nose. Sony has engineered a solution that has a couple of straps letting the back of the head do the holding, keeping the weight off the nose and cheekbones. An elastic band gets you started, but a secondary plastic band with clickable tightening points does most of the work. It's pretty comfortable, and removing it doesn't mess up your hair as much as Rift does.
Morpheus looks pretty slick with its glossy white finish and black matte trim. The colored lights that it uses for tracking are also attractive. But for as slick as it looks off, I can't say that it looks cool on anyone I've seen wearing it. And, of course, you won't see any of the design or trim work when you're using it.
The Deep
Sony's London Studios have built a really impressive demo that has users deep diving the ocean in a shark cage. My nervous giggles and head darts turned into full-on uncomfortable blurts of laughter as a large shark circled around my cage, breaking it down piece by piece with its terrifying mouth. After the first few shark attacks, looking down and to my left, I noticed that my character had started bleeding a bit, with clouds of red starting to seep up from my body. It was fun, and not unlike a theme park experience.
Though The Deep was limited on the interactivity front, it's easily the most visually impressive VR demo I've experienced. The clarity of the 3D effect, the quality of the demo assets, and the level of immersion were all very high. It looked less like a demo and more like a full-on VR game.
The Deep was also one of the most immersive VR demos I've tried. Having to sit and wait as the cage descended kept me tense, and knowing that I only had a flare gun to defend myself made it that much worse. A DualShock 4 controller held in one hand let me freely aim and fire the flare gun, and its tracking of my movements with it was spot-on. Excellent head and body tracking tech also let me turn my head in any direction and even turn fully around to follow the shark as he circled my cage.
I drew back in fear at the shark's final attack, and I could see and feel my avatar's body drawing back with me.
The Castle
While The Deep was limited in control, The Castle let me go all-out with two PlayStation Move controllers. Situated in front of a knight dummy, I was able to use my virtual hands to punch, push, pull, and otherwise manipulate it through the Move controllers, with completely accurate 1:1 control. Later, I was able to draw a sword from my side to cut at it. I tried grabbing the dummy's head with one hand (by gripping the Move's trigger) and lopping it off with the other using a sword, and liked it so much that I dismembered several more dummies before continuing.
Just being in this virtual world and looking around was quite the experience. Even simple parts of it, like trying to pick up a sword, just missing, and then trying to catch it as it falls, feels impressively immersive. I saw that I was standing on a grate in front of a castle, and I tried walking forward a few steps to get a better look. I looked down and saw the moat that lied below that grate and felt a real sense of vertigo, and I felt my knees catching. This looked and felt very realistic!
As the demo continued, I was able to take hold of a crossbow and shoot at dummies and other targets in the world. By holding up a PS Move controller and squeezing the trigger, I easily took targets out. I found it interesting that I could draw the controller close to my face and close one eye to get a better look through the crossbow's crosshairs.
The demo wrapped up with one of my shots aggravating what I thought was a statue of a huge dragon. It came alive and devoured me. Seeing my virtual head going into its massive mouth was pretty freaky.
EVE: Valkyrie
While we've seen CCP's EVE: Valkyrie before, the Project Morpheus build is easily the best version we've seen. It looks more fleshed out visually, and there's much more polish in its interfaces and assets. It also feels more like a game now than it ever has. Flying around space requires more work, and taking down enemy ships requires more hits. Enemies have hit points, and they're more than happy to dodge your missiles and come back at you while you're trying to avoid asteroid collisions.
Even in its unfinished state, running on this non-final prototype kit, I'd happily buy Project Morpheus as is to play more of EVE: Valkyrie.
Impressions:
Sony has had a very strong first showing for their Project Morpheus VR platform. It's clear that they've been working behind the scenes for some time now, and that this offering isn't just a me-too product. Overall, I've been more impressed with what I've seen right out of the gate than I have with any of the numerous Oculus Rift showings I've attended. The device looks better, fits better, and seems to have more immersive and higher-quality demos to share.
Oculus Rift still wins on resolution, and there is less motion blur in their latest kit, though. And they have what seems like all the brain power in the world at their disposal to figure out any issues that might come up otherwise.
But both companies still have a long way to go before they have a final product. They have to build the final kit, come up with compelling experiences, and meet a price point that gamers can accept before VR will become a reality.

First hands-on at GDCSony choose GDC as its coming out party for its virtual reality platform, Project Morpheus. The goal was to build interest at a show where just about every developer in the industry is in attendance. And from the look of the ...

Mar 20 //
Dale North
In an after hours demonstration last night, I sat down with Sony Computer Entertainment software engineer Eric Larsen to check out eye tracking, not knowing what to expect. I wondered what the big deal was about a game tracking my eyeballs. Why would a game need to look at me when I'm looking at it?
Larsen had me sit in front of an infrared sensor and look at a screen to see a really creepy shot infrared of my own eyes, and then he had me follow a marker that moved around the screen to finish calibration. And that's all it took.
From there, I was able to try out a demo stage of Infamous: Second Son that had been modified for eye tracking input. It looked exactly the same as the current PS4 release, but I noticed that when I looked around the screen, the camera followed. As you can imagine, this took a bit of getting used to. Having my eyes scanning the game's setting had the camera shifting left and right. It wasn't fast enough to be disorienting, but it was like someone had their thumb on the right analog stick, pushing it slightly to mess with me.
It only took a few seconds to get used to, and using the analog stick to compliment eye camera control became natural quickly.
But when I turned the corner out of an alley, I immediately found myself under fire, and I had to quickly get used to aiming with my eyeballs. Again, scanning the screen to try to keep an eye on all the action wasn't helping, but as soon as I learned to focus my attention on one object on the screen, I only had to mash R2 on the controller to take anything out. Once it clicked, the feeling of power was overwhelming. After blowing away my first few enemies I was so excited by this ability that I almost jumped out of my seat!
I imagined that aiming and controlling the camera with my eyes would be tiring, but it felt completely natural. Just look and shoot. It almost felt like a mind power being able to focus on one object on the screen and have all my fire direct exactly on it. Picking off targets in the distance became really easy for me after a couple of minutes. But it wasn't too easy; the concentration required to target properly still had this control scheme feeling like a game, and as soon as that concentration broke, my aim faltered.
Larsen explained that this demonstration used currently available technology, and that their software was doing most of the heavy lifting. He said that one day they might be able to combine this eye tracking technology with their virtual reality technology to make for an even more immersive experience.
Imagine being able to use eye tracking in a sports game. You could look at another player before passing the ball instead of having to choose a player with a controller button. A survival horror game could have you training a flashlight in the dark with your eyes. We came up with several great ideas like these during our chat.
For someone that plays games professionally, I'm a terrible aim. I'd love to see this come to market for this point alone!
Let's hope that Sony continues to move forward with this exciting technology.

The coolest thing I've seen at GDC so farImagine never having to use the right analog stick to move a game's camera or reticle. Instead, you'd use your eyeballs to aim or move the camera -- simply look at what you want to shoot at or move to.
This sounds like...

When we met with them yesterday morning, the people at Oculus VR were not surprised to hear my questioning on what they thought of the rumors of a potential Sony VR headset announcement at GDC. We spoke with them just hours b...